The Goods

July 4 2002
Livewire

This CD burner can do it all - connect to a Mac or PC via USB 2.0, FireWire and PCMCIA.

Burn free

BenQ 2410MR External Mini CD-RW, RRP $419

This CD burner can do it all - connect to a Mac or PC via USB 2.0, FireWire and PCMCIA. It beats having to think about its compatibility with your computer, although the FireWire and PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) cables don't come in the box and they're proprietary so you can only buy them from BenQ.

With the bundled USB 2.0 cable, you get decent speeds of 24x write, 10x re-write and 32x read. Because USB 2.0 is backwards compatible, the unit should also work with older computers with USB 1.1 ports, although the speeds will be much slower - 6x write, 4x re-write and 6x read - and the chances of CD failures are greater because of slow data feeds to the laser.

The 2410MR also comes with buffer under-run monitoring capabilities and a standard 2MB buffer for reducing the number of bad burns, Nero burning software and a tiny window on the unit for checking the status of discs. The "emergency eject" is most useful for when the machine's lid refuses to open, and you'll find yourself activating the emergency eject with a paperclip more often than you would like. In fact, crashes happen a lot: the order in which you plug in the unit, turn on the computer and insert and eject discs really matters here. ");document.write("

Surf the Web and send e-mails, without wires. The notebook can do this because of its retractable aerial and slot at the base of the unit that houses a GPRS-enabled SIM card.

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is more often associated with wireless data in mobile phones, but it has a logical role here too. GPRS charges arise from packets of information sent or received and not the time spent on line. So if you're surfing the Net, a slow connection is not going to cost you mega-bucks. This is not to say the Vnote unit has sluggish connection speeds. We averaged a reasonable 115kbps, faster than dongles and comparable to some dial-up connections.

The SIM card feature also turns the notebook into a GSM mobile phone. Plug the microphone/earpierce into the headphone socket and fire up the Mobile Phone Tools software, which brings up a phone interface. Make and receive calls and send text messages and faxes. You can't use the Internet and the phone at the same time, though.

The notebook itself is compact and lighweight. It includes a 1GHz Mobile Pentium III Processor, a 30-cm display, an external combo floppy disk/CD-ROM, Windows XP Pro and all the usual slots and inputs. The notebook's 20GB hard disk drive and 256MB of SD RAM are upgradeable.

There's also the soon-to-be-released Nokia D211 GPRS-enabled card for those who already have notebooks but still want that wireless experience. The D211 doesn't support voice though and Vnote argues that its speeds will probably be slower because the GPRS is not embedded.

It's simple, highly tactile and sounds great, even though it only has a single 7.5-cm speaker, and importer Audio Dynamics is being run off its feet by buyers, despite an absence of advertising or promotion. It is one of the neatest little radios you'll see, with just three controls (volume, tuning and an AM/FM selector), and it is selling because it's beautifully built and sounds good.

The tuning control is geared at 5:1 for precise station location (there's an LED tuning indicator as well), and the speaker is a long-throw driver in a ported compartment, giving surprising bass. The creation of American Henry Kloss, who has been designing audio equipment for 40 years, the Model is available in five colours.